Friday, 24 February 2012

Swampy bog on the Milford Track in Fiordland National Park, New Zealand: photo by Ingolfson, April 2007

Panorama of central geothermal pools at Wai-O-Tapu, New Zealand; Artist's Palette in foreground, Champagne Pool in the background, with visitors crossing on boardwalk beyond: photo by Tokyoahead, January 2007

A walking section in the northern part of Oakley Creek in Auckland, New Zealand: photo by Ingolfson, May 2007

Upper, eastern part of Western Park in Auckland, New Zealand: photo by Ingolfson, December 2006

Beautiful -- who knew New Zealand knew how to do it so well! Brings to mind a couple of tunes -- Under the Boardwalk, These Boards Were Made for Walking (or something like that). Those wire grids on some keep us from slipping on the curves during "the wind and the rain" (if they still get it down there). . .

They're all very beautiful - more beautiful landscapes than they would be without boardwalks, that must be the criterion. God knows how you found them all in New Zealand, your information must come from the NZ side of the family. I've seen pictures of some nice boardwalks in Norway, but I can't remember where; I'll have to ask my associate.

The photos put me in mind of Ray Bradbury’s A Sound of Thunder, a story about a time travelling hunter who’s told to stay on the boardwalk during his safari to bag a doomed T. Rex. He doesn’t of course, and inadvertently steps on a butterfly, then returns to find that his present day world (our world) has gone sideways because of his moment of inattention.

Artur has sussed the deep inner reliance upon the Associate, here. She remembers many of these milieux from her peripatetic girlhood adventuring, back in another century before the boardwalks had been built. She agrees that it must be so much nicer now, what with the surer footing. (Like Steve, another hardy traveler, she noted the helpful mesh tread on the slippery boards.)

She points out that the locations in photo # 5, and in the bottom shot, Stewart Island, are the most remote among those pictured here -- very far south.

All in all, how wonderfully civilized. People are kept from tramping all over the fauna and flora, and such tangential activities as cited by Hazen (butterfly-bagging) are thus discouraged. No dirt bikes, mopeds, advertising, electric lights, or wireless internet.

In my imagination -- where, that is, all my own (somewhat limited) travels take place -- these scenes invite as might (q. Vassilis) a veritable paradise.

Though to be fair the Full Kiwi Boardwalk Experience of course entails not angel's wings but plenty of clomp, clomp, clomp.

Of course, the former Jersey boy is tempted to defile such loveliness ... but I've learned better behavior and prefer to defer to this delightful anecdote told by Burt Lancaster on another historic bit of boardwalk ...

Those are wonderful pictures, I feel like booking an airplane ticket to Boardwalking NOW! My favourites are the last one and the path that is guarded on only one side. It leaves the adventure up for options. Leaning on the left side or falling on the right side. Or walking straight. I was trying to find out if there were such constructions in Japan, but all I found was this boardwalking. OK, she's walking and it's board. Kinda.